New Moon Take 2
by twiliightguardian110
Summary: My version of New Moon at the end starting in Italy. Continues the way I had pictured it. I kind of suck at summaries
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer...I dont own Twilight or the characters**

Watching Edward cringing on the stone ground was horrifically painful. I couldn't bear to have him in pain. I struggled against Alice's arms, a futile attempt because she was a thousand times stronger than I was. But I couldn't just stand there and watch this happen to him and not try to fight against it.

"Jane" Aro's voice rang through my clouded mind.

I tore my gaze away from Edward for half a second to see Aro tilt his head in my direction, his gaze on Jane the whole time. I didn't fear the pain that may or may not come. I couldn't process any emotion other than anguish at watching Edward in pain.

But half a second after Aro made Jane switch her focus, Edward was alright, or at least he seemed to be. He stopped wincing and I felt immense relief flood through me. His eyes met mine and they were terrified. I couldn't figure out why.

Then I felt it.

The searing pain that started in my temples and flooded down to my toes. I felt myself fall to ground without feeling Alice release me. The pain was unbearable. I couldn't make sense of anything. I forgot where I was, I forgot my name, I forgot everything. How could a small girl cause such pain? From somewhere far away, I felt cool hands touch my face, trying to pry my arms from around my head. I only grasped it tighter, wrapping my hands around the back of my head and encasing it in my arms. When would the pain end? I heard Edward speak in a terrified voice that would have matched his eyes and expression if I could have seen it. I couldn't see anything at all, the pain forced my eyes shut, blinding me.

"No! Aro, please! Please make her stop! Please, I'm begging you!" I had never heard Edward beg, ever. I couldn't remember a time when he had, at least.

But he was now, begging for me. I heard Aro call to Jane, just call her name. That should have been enough, it was the first time. Why wasn't the pain stopping? It stopped when he called to her the first time with Edward. I opened my eyes to a slit and saw that Jane had a horrifically triumphant expression on her face. I wasn't immune to her talents and that made her immensely smug, so much so that she refused to let go of the feeling. I felt sick. My stomach churned and my head was swimming. I let out a low whimper of pain, not able to hold it in. I tried my hardest to make it seem like it wasn't affecting me as much as it was, anything to get her to look away.

"Jane!" Aro's voice was sharp, demanding, and he sounded angry. Another cry of pain escaped from my lips and I felt Edward's cool hands, still on my face, stroking my cheeks, trying to calm me.

And then it was gone.

I sagged onto the cold stones, breathing heavily. Jane was looking at Aro with a hard expression on her face, upset that he took away her source of enjoyment. Edward looked livid and Alice looked worried. The type of pain Jane inflicted left its own uncomfortable feeling behind. It wasn't horribly painful, but enough to me make my breathing hitch, and to make me wince against the cold stones below me. I felt Edward pull me into his arms then, and I felt his hands smooth away the hair from my sweaty forehead. He picked me up and cradled me against his chest while I regained what composure I could muster.

Aro was staring at me with an incredulous look on his face. How could Jane's talent work on me but not his? Both were talents that involved my mind, where they not? If one didn't work, the others shouldn't either. I didn't know how much more I could take today. Aro finally spoke after a moment of internal debate.

"Well my young friends, if you do not wish to join us today, you are free to go. Please proceed quickly to our lobby but do not leave the city until nightfall. When you do leave, do not linger. It would be unwise to do so. Please come back if you change your mind"

Edward and Alice did an about face right away and hurried out the door, escorted by Alec. I was still in Edwards's arms and he was racing us out of the room. I saw people all around us. It seemed there was a tour going on. I couldn't understand what point there was to a tour here. I didn't truly understand until I looked back and saw the people enter through the door we had just exited. The doors started to close swiftly but not swiftly enough. Just before they latched, I heard the screaming start.

I couldn't believe it. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. So that was the point of the tour. Food from the outside was being brought in, just as Alice had said it would be. All of those people just sent in to slaughter. It was appalling.

My breathing picked up again, to the point where I was close to hyperventilating. I could feel the tears streaming down my face, and I was vaguely aware of the fact that my body was wracked with sobs. I could see the faces of the people who had just died. They were just random people, taken away for no reason other than to be sustenance for others. It was cruel and vile. The secretary, Gianna I think her name was, started to walk over to where Edward was sitting, me in his lap. She looked at us both.

"Is there anything I can get you?" She was overly polite.

Edward glared back and answered with a frosty "No."

Gianna walked back to her desk and sat behind it and turned away. Edward then took my face in his hands and looked into my eyes. I don't know what he saw there. I'm sure there was a mixture of terror, pain, anguish, and sorrow.

"Are you alright?" He spoke with the utmost sincerity and concern.

All I could do was nod. I couldn't find my voice anymore. He didn't seem to buy it, and I didn't buy it myself either. "I don't know what happened. How could Aro's talent fail on you, but Jane's worked, far better than anyone thought? Are you sure you're alright?"

As he spoke, I felt myself slipping. There wasn't much energy left in me to begin with and this pushed me off the edge. I was in Edwards arms, for the first time in so long. It felt right and I forgot where we were, or what had just happened. I fell off the edge of consciousness I had been clinging to and everything went black.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer...I dont own Twilight I just stole some of the dialouge...its in italics...thanks to Stephanie Meyer for that one...read on**

It was quiet when I began to drift back to reality. I could hear soft voices just beyond my grasp. I worked hard to regain consciousness.

I needed Edward. He had been so close a few- what? - Hours, minutes, seconds, days ago?

I didn't know where I was, when I was, or who I was with. As I slowly woke up I felt a pair of cold arms around me. Relief flooded through me when I realized that I was with Edward. My eyelids began to flutter and I slowly opened them fully. Edward sat there, beautiful as ever, watching me with anxious eyes.

"Edward, I-" I began to speak slowly, not sure what I was trying to say. He silenced me by placing a finger over my lips.

"Please, Bella. Just relax. You've had a long day." Edward spoke in a whisper.

I didn't need much convincing to relax. I could feel what little strength I had left ebb away. I sank back into Edwards arms, letting him support me, and I realized that we weren't in the lobby of the castle in Volterra. Edward and I were sitting in the back of a dark car and Alice was driving. I looked out the tinted windows and realized that it was twilight. I watched as the trees flashed by too quickly on the side of the road, and sighed contentedly. Edward misinterpreted it and looked down at me with anxious eyes.

"Bella?" his voice matched his dark gold eyes.

"I'm alright." I sighed these words and they came out strung together, to form a new, unintelligible word. Edwards's arms tightened around me and he whispered in my ear_. _

_"It's alright Bella, you can sleep. The danger is gone"_

I didn't want to sleep but knew it was inevitable, at least for a little while. I nodded my head sleepily against Edward's hard shoulder and fell into a light sleep.

I couldn't tell if I was semi-conscious or not, but I faintly heard Edward and Alice discussing plane tickets and the quickest flights home. I assumed we were still in the car because I could hear the quiet purr of the engine and feel Edwards arms wrapped protectively around me. I looked up at him to find him staring at me. A seraphic smile lit up his features when he looked down at me. I smiled back, not quite as brilliantly, and snuggled closer to him. I felt his icy cold lips press into my hair, and I let out another contented sigh.

We had to be getting close to the airport by now, with as crazy as Alice had been driving. And yet, with the crazy driving, thirsty vampires, and near death experiences that had filled my day, I felt relieved that we had gone through it all. I had Edward back, and that was reason enough to go through all that I had today ten times over. The relief, contentment, and safety I felt here in his arms were enough for now.

Alice pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car. Edward leaned across me and opened the door and got out, lifting me with me in his arms. He set me gently on the sidewalk and together, the three of us set off into the airport to head home. Alice approached the counter swiftly and purchased three tickets. Edward stood with his arms around my waist, keeping me stable, even though I was fully awake, for the time being. He could see that I had very little energy left in me and that I could use all the help I could get. I noticed as Alice danced back toward us, that she had my bag in her hand. She noticed me looking and handed it to me. Alice handed Edward her credit card and told him to get some new clothes, the ones he was wearing were shredded and dirty. She took me by the hand and we walked off to a bathroom, to change our clothes, and to allow me to brush my teeth.

After our quick stop in the bathroom, we headed off to find Edward. He was sitting at a table in a café a little ways down from us, looking brilliant in his blue t-shirt that sported the words Rome, Italy.

I was shocked. Had we really driven all the way from Volterra to Rome in such a short amount of time? As soon as Edward saw us walking back, he sprang lightly from his seat and wrapped his arms back around me. He led us over to his café table and sat us down, pulling my chair directly next to his. His arms didn't release me for a second. Alice sat across from us as the waitress came to take our order. Edward and Alice politely turned down the waitresses offer to bring them something, and I asked for a bagel. The waitress turned with one last glimpse at Edward and headed off to grab my food. Edward pulled me closer to his side and pressed his lips against my forehead.

Once I was finished with my bagel, the three of us got up and headed to our boarding gate. Edward sat down, pulling me onto his lap. Alice sat a few chairs away from us, talking to Jasper in a quiet voice on her cell phone.

After about ten minutes, the speaker announced that our flight was boarding. Edward pulled me onto the plane and sat me down. I took the window seat and he sat on the outside. He moved the arm rest up so that there wasn't any space between us. The flight attendants made their rounds and closed the doors as the captain came over the loud speaker and announced, in several different languages, that we were taking off. The relief I felt once the plane lifted itself from the ground was immense. I was finally getting away from this place. Under other circumstances, I would have been sad to go but not now. Finally leaving gave me a feeling of peace, and contentment. I snuggled closer into Edwards embrace and fell asleep.

As I slept, I dreamed. Edward and I were alone, in our meadow, and the words he spoke to me the day he left flooded back to me.

"_You…don't…want me?" I tried out the words, confused by the way they sounded, placed in that order. "No."He looked away into the trees as he spoke again. _

"_Of course I will always love you… in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that its time for a change. Because I'm… because I'm tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I'm not human." He looked back, and the icy planes of his perfect face were not human. "I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that." _

"_Don't." My voice was just a whisper now; awareness was beginning to seep through me, trickling like acid through my veins. "Don't do this."_

_He just stared at me, I could see from his eyes that my words were far too late. He already had._

"_You're not good for me, Bella."_

"_Goodbye, Bella," he said in the same quiet, peaceful voice. _

"_Wait!" I choked out the word, reaching for him, willing my deadened legs to carry me forward. I thought he was reaching for me, too. But his cold hands locked around my wrists and pinned them to my sides. He leaned down, and pressed his lips very lightly to my forehead for the briefest second. My eyes closed. _

"_Take care of yourself," He breathed, cool against my skin. There was a light, unnatural breeze. My eyes flashed open. The leaves on the small vine maple shuddered with the gentle wind of his passage. _

_He was gone._

My eyes snapped open, and I felt myself gasp involuntarily. I realized that I was shaking from head to toe. Edwards's eyes were alarmed. His breathing visibly sped up as I looked up at him, horrorstruck.

"Bella! Bella what's wrong?"

I looked around and saw people walking off of the plane. I realized then that the reason I had woken up was not only because of the dream, but because the plane had landed in Paris, our layover destination.

I took the opportunity for what it was, and bolted from the plane, leaving Edward stunned in his seat.

As I ran, I thought. I couldn't believe I had forgotten the whole reason he left. He didn't want me then. He wouldn't want me now. How was I so stupid to believe that things would change just because he saw me again? How naïve.

Tears streamed down my face and my stomach churned. I had to get away from Edward and fast. I saw a bathroom to my right and bolted inside. It was empty, thank goodness. I then proceeded to lose whatever substances had been in my stomach. I heard the door open and I sagged against the floor, my back against the stall door.

On some level, I realized I was sobbing, and I was sobbing hard. I heard a soft knock on the door and knew that Alice was outside. The first time Edward had left, it had taken forever for me to cry. Now, the flood gates opened automatically as that knowledge sunk in. I would be alone again. He would leave me, just as he had before. The hole in my heart ached, more than it ever had before. It ripped my chest wide open and I couldn't breathe. Before I knew it, Alice was there pulling me out of the stall and into her stone arms. I cried harder at this.

Alice would leave too. If Edward left, why would Alice stay? I felt myself collapse again. The pain overwhelmed me and I fell to the floor, my head whirling. I heard Alice calling my name from far away but I couldn't say anything back. Everything was gone. My love, my life, and now even my voice. I was a hollow shell of a person, and I knew that once Edward left, my life would be over. There would be no reason to live. I had lost him once and I knew that I couldn't face it again, let alone survive it. I looked back into Alice's glossy golden eyes and I saw my reflection. I looked as empty as I felt. My eyes were dead.

I stood up slowly, backing away from Alice, using the counter for support. I washed my hands and my face and walked out of the bathroom. Edward was waiting outside and I walked right past him, not looking at him. I knew if I did, I wouldn't make it five more feet. I'd crumble right there in the middle of the Paris airport. I heard Edward call my name and didn't even look back. Alice called his name and he saw exactly what she had seen. I heard him take in a sharp breath and heard them start to speak in low, rapid voices. I couldn't make sense of it even if I had wanted to.

I looked at all of the boards where the flights were posted, and saw which gate our flight would leave from. I walked over to that terminal and curled up in one of the chairs, pulling my knees up to my chest. I tucked my head into my knees and inhaled deeply. I didn't know how I was going to make it through the whole plane ride home. Then it hit me. Edward and I had sat together on the way here, Alice by herself. All I had to do was switch seats with Alice and I would be fine. I didn't think sitting by Edward would help at all. While he calmed me whenever I was near him, sitting by him would not be a good idea. Sure it would calm me for the next few hours but what about when he left? Spending more time with him would just make it harder.

I had to try and detach myself from this whole situation. I would work to be normal for Charlie when I got home, face his rage for my leaving, and do my time like the good little girl I was. It was like the last few months had started all over again. I decided then that I would live for Charlie.

I felt a pair of large cool hands on my hair, stroking my head trying to call me down. I realized then that I was shaking with silent sobs. I also realized these hands were not Alice's and that made the tears fall faster and the sobs harder. I turned my head away from him, still hidden in my knees and he withdrew his hand. He didn't leave though. He sat next to me as I cried and, despite my best efforts, I was comforted that he was there. If only that were enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:: I don't own Twilight... : (**

The flight home was quite similar to the layover in Paris. I sat alone behind Edward and Alice, and curled up into a ball and begged sleep to overtake me. I could feel Edwards eyes on me half of the ride home. The other half I felt Alice's. Sleep eluded me throughout the long flight and I was shocked to find myself awake as we descended into the Seattle Airport.

The rest of the passengers got up and grabbed their bags and made their way off of the plane. I sat still and waited until it was empty to leave. Alice and Edward had gone on ahead, thinking I had gotten lost in the crowd. I couldn't move. I couldn't will my legs to move towards a life that wasn't worth living. A flight attendant came to me then, asking if I was alright and needed help. I told her no, I was just a bit tired from the flight, and apologized for staying so long. I got up and walked off of the plane.

I walked down the long tunnel to the gate and walked out to find almost the entire Cullen family waiting for me. I could feel the dead look on my face and I could see how this effected the Cullen's, all of them.

Jasper tried to send a wave of calm through me, but there was nothing in me that needed calming. Esme looked hurt, like it was her own personal wrongdoing that brought the dead look into my eyes. Carlisle looked slightly confused and I could not figure out why. I wasn't trying very hard to figure it out either. I tried to smile at Esme and failed.

They were all happy to be together, they knew they would be together forever, they were a family. I didn't feel anything near happiness. I didn't really feel at all.

I looked at Edward, knowing now would be the time to say what I needed to say. The entire flight home I had figured out what I would say and how I would say it, trying to inflict the least amount of damage possible. He looked back at me with wary eyes, anxious eyes.

"Edward…" I paused, not sure if I could do this, "Can I speak with you a minute please?"

"Of course." Edward kept the wary expression in his eyes, but I thought I saw something more behind them. Relief I think. Relief that I was speaking? I wasn't sure.

I walked away from his family into a corner. I knew that it was a fruitless effort, they could all hear me as if I was standing next to them, but the distance made it easier to do. I turned to look at Edward, my back to his family. He looked nervous, anxious, and almost as sick as I felt.

"Edward. I just want to thank you for saving me, in Italy. You didn't have to save me, but you did. I know that you're leaving soon, and I just wanted to tell you thank you before you did. I also wanted to tell you that, despite the fact that you don't feel the same, I still love you." He started to speak but I stopped him, placing my hand over his lips. "No Edward, please, don't say anything. I needed to get this out and I needed to tell you. It will help in the long run. Well help me at least. I hope. You just needed to know. I love you. Goodbye."

I removed my hand from his lips and turned away before he could see the tears spill from my eyes. I walked as fast as my legs would carry me towards the exits. Edward wasn't following me and for that I was grateful. I don't know what I expected, whether it was him running after me, telling me he loved me and to stay, or some other kind of thing along those lines. I was glad he stayed with his family.

I walked up to Alice and stopped. I looked at her and said the words that were almost as hard as when I said them to Edward.

"Thank you so much, for everything. I owe you and Edward my life." I knew he heard that from the sharp intake of breath a few feet behind me. I looked at Esme and Carlisle and smiled back at them as warmly as I could manage and I started to walk away. I got halfway to the exit when I heard my name being called.

"Bella! Please wait!" Edward was running at a normal human speed to where I was walking. I kept walking, trying to get to the exit before I completely lost it. I was almost toward the exit, Edward still trailing behind me, continuing to call after me.

"Bella! Please stop! Bella, we have to talk about this!"

I don't know what he thought we had to talk about. It was simple. I loved him, he didn't feel the same, and he was leaving. End of story. I didn't need to hear it retold.

Suddenly, he was in front of me, blocking my way out. Surely, he hadn't moved the way he would if we weren't surrounded by tons of people, too swiftly for human eyes to notice, if they weren't looking.

Regardless, there he was, keeping me from leaving. So I turned around and tried to walk away from him. There had to be another exit in this airport. One wasn't going to cut it, not in Seattle.

A hand shot out and grabbed my upper arm, not hard enough to leave a bruise, but tight enough that I wasn't able to walk away.

He spun me around and looked at my hardened expression. I expected to see him angry, but I was shocked to find that his face was contorted, not with rage, but something else. His eyes looked pained and he had many different feelings hidden inside the dark topaz depths; anxiety, pain, abandonment, sorrow, guilt, helplessness, confusion, all mixed into one.

"Please, Bella. You can't leave me, not yet, we have to-"

"Me leave you? You're the one who's leaving me! What are you talking about?" I looked at him with disbelieving eyes. What on Earth was he talking about?

"Please, Bella. We have to talk about this. Please! Just hear me out. Please." His voice turned pleading at the end. His eyes were full of despair and I couldn't say no.

I let him lead me to a row of seats, away from his family, and away from the other people in the airport. He sat down and pulled me next to him. I sat reluctantly, not knowing what he thought we needed to talk about. He looked at me hesitantly, seeming like he had no idea where to start.

"Bella-" he started to speak and stopped, collecting his thoughts. He started again after a moment, looking like he knew where he was going this time. "Bella. There are so many things that I need and want to say. Firstly, I want to start by telling you how grateful I am that you came and saved me in Volterra. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. So it seems that, I owe you my life, instead of you owing me yours."

I gasped, involuntarily. He was only still here because he felt that he owed me something! How could he think that? I guess that I did save him, but he saved me right back. So we were even. He could leave. Warm tears started to pool in my eyes as this realization sunk in and they spilled over, despite my efforts to keep them in. He reached his hands up to my face and wiped away the tears from my cheeks.

"Bella? Bella what's wrong?"

I let out a small sob in response, not able to hold it in, or able to speak.

"Ok, I'm not doing this properly at all. So I'm just going to come out and say it. I love you, Bella. I love you and I want you to take me back."

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	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I keep thinking one of these days I'll wake up and miraculously own Twilight...and yet I wake every morning and realize I still don't...**

I just looked at him with wide eyes. This had to be a dream. There was no way this could be real. I was still sleeping on the plane. That had to be it. This was too good to be true, so I assumed it wasn't true. He could see my skepticism and he pressed on, trying to get me to believe him.

"I only left the first time because I thought it was what was best for you. But it wasn't, I can see that now. I wanted to keep you safe and out of harms way. I thought I could be selfless and unselfish and walk away from you, the best thing that's ever happened to me, the reason for my existence, because it was what was best for you. Or at least I thought it was. But I can't live without you! I can't be selfless, or unselfish, or any of those things. I need you! Please, please believe me when I say that I love you and that I need you. I can't live without you, not anymore."

I looked down at the ground as his words processed through my brain. I was sure now that I was dreaming. Those sweet words that I had been wishing he would say to me again for the last eight months couldn't be true. I wanted them too badly so I must be dreaming them.

Wish fulfillment.

I needed to wake up from this dream before it could hurt me more. So I did what any rational person would do when they thought they were sleeping and needed to be woken up. I smacked myself. Edwards eyes got huge when he saw this. I looked back at him and he was still here. So I smacked myself again. It obviously hadn't woken me up the first time, so maybe the second time would work. Edward grabbed my wrists before I could smack myself again.

"Bella! What on earth are you doing?" He almost shouted. His eyes were bewildered as he took in my pained expression, a pain that had nothing to do with being smacked. My eyes started to tear again and a few slipped down my cheek. He gathered both of my wrists in one hand and wiped the tears away from my face.

"I'm trying to wake up. I'm obviously asleep and dreaming. You can't possibly be here saying these things to me, the things I've wanted to hear for months. You cant be telling me that you want me to take you back. These are all of the things I want to say to you but know I cant. This isn't real. It cant be because its too good to be true." I was sobbing by the end of my little speech.

He pulled me against his chest, and I didn't fight him. It felt so nice to be held by him, even if it wasn't real. Maybe, I could just stay here, asleep forever, in his arms, where I so desperately wanted to be. But I knew that I would wake up eventually and be alone again. I wanted to try and get as much out of this as possible for when I was alone, but I was afraid it would hurt too much. I looked up to see him smiling my favorite crooked smile, and I felt my breath hitch.

"Oh Bella," He said as he leaned down and kissed my forehead. "You're still as stubborn as when I left you. Can you please try to believe me when I say that I love you and I'm really here and you're here and that this isn't a dream. I don't think I deserve to be in your dreams at all after what I've done to you and put you through."

I was about to protest but he put a finger to my lips and silenced me.

"Please just listen for a moment. I need you so much it hurts, and I haven't felt pain in a very long time. You're the only one who makes me feel like I actually have some semblance of a beating and feeling heart. That's a feeling I haven't experienced in over 90 years. When I'm with you I feel complete and whole and content. No, more than content, I feel so happy to be near you that I can't contain it. But when you're gone, and I'm not here with you, I can't feel at all. Everything seems meaningless and I can't find a reason to do anything without you. You are my whole life, you always have been, since that first day I met you. I need to be with you Bella. I love you more than you can comprehend."

I looked at him, my mouth agape, staring dumfounded at him. Did he just profess his undying love for me in the middle of an airport? Eight months after he left me and told me he didn't want me anymore? This didn't make any sense.

"But…But in the woods…the day you left…you said…you didn't want me. What changed? I don't understand." The words came out strangled and contorted. I was trying my hardest to speak around the giant lump that was forming in my throat.

"Nothing changed Bella. Nothing at all."

I winced and drew back from where his hands held mine. I was unbelievably confused. How did he feel then? Did he want me or not. He said he loved me and then said nothing had changed. I had to be missing something. He held me tighter, realizing what he had said and what I knew the words meant.

"No! No, I didn't mean it like that! What I meant to say was that nothing changed in the first place. I lied when I told you I didn't want you. I have always wanted you, and I always will. I only said what I did in the forest to try and give you a clean break, so you could move on quicker, without me there, thinking that you were free from me. I wanted to give you some kind of closure so you could try and have a safer, normal life. I didn't mean anything I said in the forest, except that I love you. There is no way that I could ever not want you. There will never be any possible way that I could ever not want you. You are my life, Bella, I need you, I want you, I love you."

His golden eyes burned with a vindictive fury that I had never seen before. He meant every word he said and he had never meant anything more than he did now. Maybe I wasn't dreaming. Maybe this was real and he really did want me the way I wanted him. I didn't want to accept that, because there was still a large possibility that he could be a dream.

He could still see my skepticism and his eyes burned with a more intense fury. They burned with passion, I could see that. Before I knew what he was doing, he leaned down, with the speed of lightning, and kissed me. This kiss held countless emotions ranging from love, passion, lust, longing, relief, truthfulness, and kindness, all of the things I had wished for.

I kissed him back. All of my pent up anger, the love I felt for him, all of the things I was feeling in that instant were thrown into that kiss. I felt his lips curve upward when he felt me respond. How could I not? I loved him, regardless of whether or not he was real, and I couldn't deny that.

He pulled back after a second more, and looked at me. The same feelings from his kiss where in his eyes, and I'm sure I was the same way.

"Still dreaming?" he asked me, the crooked grin back on his face.

"I'm not sure. If I was, I probably would have woken up from that." His face spread into a wider grin as I spoke. "But then again, maybe not. I don't really know anything any more."

He leaned down, close to my lips again, and whispered against them.

"Well, maybe one more would help." He then pressed his cold lips to mine.

But this kiss wasn't as desperate as the last. This was sweet, and gentle, but still as passionate as the first. I felt his cold lips mold around mine as I kissed him back, molding my lips to meet his. My fingers knotted in his hair, of their own doing, and I felt him press me tighter to him, one hand on my waist, the other on the small of my back. He pulled away, again, after a moment and smiled at me. It was a questioning smile, though. He was asking me, through his smile, if I had decided I was awake yet.

I had to think about that. I wasn't sure myself whether or not I was. Those kisses should have woken me up. Less than that had done the trick before. The thought that maybe I wasn't dreaming floated back to me and I grasped it. I wasn't imaginative enough to have dreamed everything that happened in Italy. So maybe, just maybe, he really was here and he wanted to keep me, and love me, and hold me. That little shred of hope was enough for me for now. I knew I would regret it later if he did, in fact, leave me again. But I'd take my chances. I looked back at him and pressed my lips to his a third time. This kiss was the same as the second, sweet and tender. His lips curved again, underneath mine. I pulled away first this time, to look into his eyes. They were bright and happy and just the way I remembered them. I could feel my face break into a crazy grin. It felt right.

"I love you, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. I always have, and I always will." I looked at him as I spoke these words, with a clear, strong voice, that surprised me. He just looked back at me with the same eyes and spoke quietly, but with a strong undertone, every word ringing with truth.

"I love you, Isabella Marie Swan, with my entire, unbeating heart, always and forever."

My face erupted in a huge smile and I couldn't contain the singing in my heart. It felt like I was going to burst. I leaned forward and kissed him again, this time just like the first. He kissed me back and after a moment, we stood up and looked at each other. He looked deep into my eyes and spoke with the same strong voice.

"I will never leave you again. I cannot live without you. I love you."

Edward had never broken a promise to me before. His words were a promise to me, to him, to the both of us, saying that we'd be together forever. I took his words and accepted them. I felt happier than I had ever been in my life. The hole in my chest was gone. He wanted me the same way I wanted him. Forever started to sound like a good word.

"I love you Edward. You don't know how long I've waited to hear those words again."

His eyes tightened just a bit when I said this and sorrow was evident in his voice.

"I will never forgive myself for what I have put you through. For leaving you."

I smiled and tried to lighten his mood.

"Well, you have forever to make it up to me, don't you?" He laughed as I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck. He wrapped his around my waist and pressed me close to his body. I loved the way we seemed to fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. It felt right.

"Yes, forever." His words were another promise, one I would make sure he would keep.

He leaned down to kiss me again and I stretched up on my tiptoes to meet his lips that much sooner. Once our lips met, he lifted me off the ground and swung me up into his arms, never breaking the kiss. I laughed and pulled away.

"Edward, we look silly. We're in the middle of an airport."

He looked back at me and a wicked glint flashed into his eyes.

"I don't care what other people think. I finally have you back and I don't ever want to let go of you again. But I guess you are right."

He set me back on my feet but kept his arm tightly wrapped around my waist and we walked back to his family. I was a bit sheepish at first, not sure what they would think of my behavior earlier, but my shy feelings were erased when Esme pulled me into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much for going and saving my son. I will never be able to repay you. I'm so glad to see you again!" She squeezed me tighter as she spoke this last sentence. Carlisle looked at me with a warm smile.

"Thank you Bella. We owe you."

"Hardly." I responded.

Alice ran over to me, squealing quietly.

"Bella!!!!! I'm so glad you decided to forgive my loser of a brother. He was miserable without you, we all were."

Edward moved behind me then, and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist. I linked my fingers through his and his arms tightened. I turned my face around to look at him and he smiled hugely and planted a kiss on his lips. He pulled away and looked at Carlisle and I noticed an odd look pass between the two of them. I then realized that they were having a silent moment of conversation. He looked back at me and spoke, once the conversation was done.

"Bella, we really should get you back to Charlie. He'll be worried, if I know anything of him."

I looked back at him and knew he was right. He had been away for a while, but he still knew me and my father like the back of his hand.

"You're right. After everything that's happened lately, my leaving couldn't have helped with the stress Charlie was under. Especially after what happened with Harry." My face grew somber as I said these words. Edwards arms tightened around me, letting me know he was here for me. I leaned back into him for a moment, relishing in the feel of his stone arms around me. After taking a few seconds to collect my thoughts, I pulled slightly away from Edward and he loosened his arms. I kept a firm grasp on one of his hands and turned to look at him.

"Lets go." I let out a resigned sigh after I said this.

**So this chapter was basically pure fluff. It's pretty lovey dovey and all of the mushy gushy stuff but thats the way the fingers were flowing across my keyboard. I don't fight it when the creative juices start flowing. **

**Reviews are awesome as always**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Must I admit defeat further by saying that I still don't own Twilight? Seems I just did...**

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked out to the car. I gasped slightly and balked when he got to where the cars were parked. Rosalie and Emmett were leaning against one of them, both looking slightly uncomfortable. Emmett looked at Edward, then down to his arm around my waist, and back to Edward with a weird look on his face. I could tell this was another moment of silent conversation. I sighed. This was going to take some getting used to again. Edward nodded slightly and Emmett rushed over to me. I felt the air in my lungs escape forcefully as Emmett scooped me up into a bear hug.

"Bella! I've missed you so much!" He set me back on the ground when he realized I wasn't breathing. His grin was sheepish as he realized what he had done.

I took a deep breathe and looked up at Edward. He was glaring, but it wasn't at Emmett like I thought it would have been. I followed his gaze and saw that it was locked on Rosalie. The memories of Alice's phone conversation with Rosalie before we left flooded back to me and I realized why Edward was glaring.

Esme came up behind us and started whispering to Edward. I only caught pieces.

"Edward, please. Be reasonable. She feels terrible for what happened. She blames herself for you leaving."

"She should." Edward growled at his mother.

"Edward. Just let her explain and apologize. Carlisle and I will ride back with Jasper and Alice." She started to walk away but Edward protested.

"No. I don't think that would be very wise at the moment."

Esme seemed to need a minute to think and Edward caught every word of it.

Eventually, Edward and I found ourselves sitting in the black of the black Mercedes with Carlisle and Esme, while Alice and Jasper rode with Emmett and Rosalie. The car ride back was very quiet and I could almost sense some of the tension in the air. It wasn't thick, but I knew it would have been much worse if we had ridden with Rosalie. Edward didn't blame her. That much I could see. But he was not happy with her in the slightest.

He and I sat together, his arms wound around my waist, as I leaned against him, wondering what to say to Charlie.

How was I going to explain everything to Charlie? This was going to be difficult. There wasn't a logical explanation for this, not one I could tell him anyway. There would be no way that I could tell Charlie the truth. I smiled to myself as I thought.

"_Ok Dad, here's the truth. Edward and his family are vampires and left for my own good. I was being hunted by multiple people and they thought it would be safest if they weren't around. But then Edward heard about me jumping off the cliff in La Push, because Alice saw it happen. Yeah, she's a psychic and can see the future. Well anyway, he thought I was dead and went to ask the most powerful vampires to kill him so he wouldn't have to live without me. But Alice and I flew to Italy to stop him, almost getting ourselves killed in the process. Oh, and they now have to change me into one of them before the others come back and kill me. I'm sorry that's a lot to throw at you, I know." _

Yes, that little speech would go along quite nicely. Edward noticed me smiling to myself and threw me a curious glance. I shook my head and spoke quietly to him.

"I was thinking about what I'm going to tell Charlie. We need to figure out what that is. I obviously can't tell him the truth, so what do I tell him?"

Edward's eyes flicked up to meet Carlisle's in the rear view mirror.

"Don't worry about the explanation Bella. We'll come up with something. We still have a little time. We're going back to the house so we can figure something out. Alice will take you back, since Charlie already knows you were with her. It most likely would not be a good idea for Edward to bring you to Charlie's. I'm almost certain Charlie would not react kindly to him at the moment."

I nodded at what Carlisle said, thinking things over. Charlie most definitely blamed Edward for the months of depression following the departure of the Cullen's. Seeing Edward now would not be good for either of them.

I looked up at Edward to see his eyes were tight, and I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking about what Alice had seen and heard from Charlie about me after he left. His eyes were filled with sadness and regret that I knew wouldn't be all that easy to get rid of.

I realized then, as I looked up into his beautiful eyes, that the plan we had come up with involved me being away from Edward. That thought scared me. I couldn't be away from him, not when I just got him back.

"Will you stay tonight?" I asked in a quiet voice. I didn't want to be without him at all. An hour I could handle, but an entire night would be difficult. I knew that I didn't have a chance of a peaceful night, let alone getting any sleep, if Edward wasn't there. I hadn't had a good night since he left.

And then there were the nightmares that were sure to follow what had just happened. I didn't know if I could handle them without him there. I felt my breathing speed up, along with my heart beat, as I thought about this. Edward heard both and chuckled leaning his face down and pressing his lips against my forehead and then moving them to my jaw before speaking.

"Of course, my beautiful Bella. I don't think I can stand another night away from you."

I was elated. I wouldn't have to be without him for that long tonight. I knew I could handle that. I also knew that the hour I had to be away from him would be the most painful and longest night of my life. I looked up at him as he pulled away from my jaw. I twisted in his arms and grabbed his face in my hands. I kissed him passionately, well as passionately as I was able to get away with. Edward pulled back after a few seconds with a mischievous look on his handsome face. He chuckled and twisted me in his arms so I was more comfortable, and he pulled me close to him. He leaned down and buried his face in my hair and inhaled deeply. I reached my hand up and rested my hand on his cheek, to hold him there a bit longer. I missed this, how close we used to be. He took one of his hands, which were wrapped around my waist, and grabbed my hand, holding it in place. He then moved it to his lips, softly kissing my wrist before inhaling deeply again. He kissed each of my finger tips before releasing my hand, and wrapping it around my waist again.

I was tired, but not terribly so. I knew I needed to be awake and coherent when we arrived at the Cullen house so that we would be able to fabricate a story to go along with my disappearance. I leaned against Edward for the rest of the ride, and when we got to house, Edward pulled me onto one of the loveseats in the living room. I sat in his lap as the rest of the family assembled. Rosalie stalked off past us upstairs into her own room. I wasn't surprised. Nothing had changed with the rest of the Cullen's, so I hadn't been expecting any of the animosity Rosalie felt towards me to fade, regardless of the whole cliff and Italy ordeal. Emmett threw a look of incredulity towards her retreating form, but settled into the chair across from us instead of following her. The rest of the family seemed to disregard Rosalie's exit with the exception of Carlisle. He had a slightly annoyed look on his face, but he quickly composed himself and addressed the room's occupants.

"I'm sure you all know the gist of why we are all convened here. We need a cover story for Bella. Our presence in town again should be easy enough to explain, but we will ponder that more once we have a story for Bella. Charlie obviously can not and will not know the truth. Edward and I feel it would be best if, after our plan is made, to have Alice bring Bella back home. He knows that you were with Bella before you both left, Alice. This will be easiest on Charlie and we think he will swallow our story easier if she is with you. Seeing Edward is not a wise idea. I'm sure you can all ascertain the feelings that Charlie has towards Edward. Now we need a story. Ideas, anyone?"

The room was silent for a moment as everyone thought. They knew I had left Charlie a note before I had gone, and they all knew it hadn't been very descriptive.

_Dad,_

_I'm with Alice. Edward's in trouble. You can ground me when I get back. I know it's a bad time. So sorry._

_Love you so much, _

_Bella._

Those were simple enough words. There wasn't too much behind them either, so a story should be easy enough to make up. Surprisingly, Jasper spoke up first.

"I think its best if we stick to the truth, at least partially. It will be easiest and Bella won't feel as if she is lying to Charlie completely. I know you hate to lie to him Bella, but it's the best way."

Emmett spoke next.

"I think that Jasper has a good point. What if we just tell him that Edward found out about Bella's cliff stunt and say that Alice took her to L.A. to explain? Tell him that Edward was pretty messed up over the whole thing with guilt. And to explain us being back to Charlie, tell him that Esme hated L.A. and Edward and Bella both decided that being apart wasn't good for either of them?"

We all gaped at Emmett. He could be amazingly insightful when he wanted to be. It was quite surprising.

"Emmett, I think that plan will work. Nicely done." Carlisle looked at his son with pride. Edward and Jasper both shook their heads appreciatively. "So, I guess that problem has been taken care of. Alice, I think its time you take Bella back to Charlie's now."

She nodded and rose gracefully from her seat. Before she could leave, Carlisle stopped her.

"Alice? Make sure you take the Mercedes. Charlie saw you driving that before and will wonder if you show up in something else."

She nodded again and walked out the door. I heard the engine start a few seconds later. I didn't like this part of the plan. I didn't want to be away from Edward. Jasper felt my anxiety and slight panic and sent a wave of calm through the room. That helped a bit but the feeling was still there, faded in the background. I turned in Edwards arms to look at him. His eyes were tight and a tad bit upset, but he looked down at me and they changed. He looked at me lovingly and there was humor in his eyes as he spoke.

"Bella, Bella. Don't worry love, I'll be back so soon you wont even realize I'm gone." He chuckled lightly.

"I'll miss you. More than you know." I looked at him and I could feel the sadness I felt etch itself slightly into my features.

"I'll miss you too. I love you." He looked so sincere as he spoke his words that I never wanted to leave. But then again, I didn't want to leave anyway.

"I love you, too, Edward." I reached my face up to his and pressed my lips against his marble ones. He threw himself into the kiss more than I thought he would have. I heard a throat clear, and realized we were still in a room full of people. I blushed furiously and Edward just laughed.

"Ha Bella. Your blush is one of the things I missed most about you." Emmett said as he got up and mussed my hair. Edward smoothed my hair back down and got up off of the couch, and pulled me to my feet. Clumsy as always, I fell off balance and into Edward's arms, causing him to laugh out loud. He wrapped his arm around me as we walked into the Cullen's garage. Edward opened my door for me and I got in, expecting him to close the door behind me, but he slid in next to me. I threw him a curious glance and he tapped the dark windows.

"It's nighttime, love. There is no way that Charlie will be able to see me in here. I'll wait while Alice takes you inside and talks to Charlie with you, and when she comes out, I'll go up to your room. I assume you'll want to shower, so I'll wait in your room until you're finished. I told you Bella, I can't be without you." He smiled my crooked smile, and I gladly sank into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around me.

**More to come...hopefully not as full of filler. and fluff and all the mushy stuff...hey that rhymed what do you know? **

**anyway reviews are always killer**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight....but I will own the DVD in 12 days!**

The ride to Charlie's was quick of course. I don't know why I was surprised when we arrived at Charlie's a few minutes after we left. I wondered then, if all of the Cullen's drive as crazily as Edward and Alice. But I was just filling my mind with other things to think about. I didn't want to do what I was about to do. Jasper had been right earlier. I hated to lie to Charlie, but I knew that I had to do this to protect him. Edward hugged me tighter and kissed my lips. He pulled away and looked into my eyes.

"I'll be in your room waiting for you as soon as you're done with Charlie. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you soon." I said as I kissed him once more. I pulled myself out of the car then and walked with Alice towards my front door.

The porch light was on, which meant Charlie was still up, probably waiting to see if I would come home tonight.

I grabbed the key under the eave and opened the front door. The TV was on and a ball game of some kind was playing. I walked with Alice behind me to find Charlie asleep on the couch. I turned and looked at her and she nodded encouragingly. I walked over and shook Charlie. He must not have been sleeping very deeply because he woke when I shook him the first time. He looked at me with incredulous eyes.

"Bells, is that you?" He sounded skeptical, like he thought he was dreaming.

"Yeah, Dad. It's me. I'm sorry I left. I had some problems to take care of and there wasn't time to tell you."

He looked at me and he suddenly grew furious.

"Well where in the world have you been, young lady? You left me a note, a short one at that, that didn't describe anything. Jake could only tell me you left with Alice, said something about Edward, and that he thought you were in trouble." He practically spat Edward's name. "So? Are you going to tell me where you've been?"

I took a deep breathe before starting. This was going to be a tad bit more difficult than I thought.

"I should probably start with what happened before I left, before Alice even got here. I didn't want to tell you before Dad, it was such a bad time. I was supposed to go cliff diving with Jake. You know what that is, right Dad?" He nodded so I felt I could continue. "Well, I was supposed to go with Jake, but he got busy, and I figured that I could handle it alone. I didn't factor in the weather and that threw everything off. I jumped and hit the water hard and it pulled me under. I thought I was going to drown, but Jake pulled me out and beat the water out of me. He brought me back to his house and we found out about Harry after. I couldn't tell you Dad, there was just too much going on, and too much for you to deal with at one time."

Charlie's eyes had grown wider while I spoke, and I could tell that my drowning scare had gotten to him too. But I needed to continue. I was on a roll, so to speak.

"So then Alice showed up and I couldn't tell you still. You had so much to deal with, and I figured I'd tell you when everything had settled down a bit. So while you were out, Alice and I talked and she found out about my cliff diving episode. When she called home to tell Carlisle where she was, she explained everything and threw that detail into the mix. Esme was curious about how I was so Alice was filling her in. The message ended up being relayed from member to member of the Cullen family and it got to Edward last. The family didn't think that he should hear so much after our break up. By the time he heard the story, it had gotten twisted so that it sounded like I had tried to kill myself. He got really upset, sure it was his fault that I had died. He locked himself in his room and wouldn't come out. Esme couldn't figure out why and was getting scared that Edward would do something stupid like try to kill himself because I was dead. She said that he still loved me like I love him and that this affected him immensely. He didn't know I was alive and wouldn't listen when anyone would try and tell him that I was. Esme got so worried that she called Alice and explained the situation. So we had to work fast. Alice and I got on a plane to L.A. and went to find Edward. Alice knew that if she tried to get into his room to talk to him he wouldn't listen, so she had to bring me. We got to L.A. and explained everything and we made it in time. He didn't do anything stupid."

Charlie's expression changed a few times during me story. At first he still looked worried about the cliff diving and then he looked angry when I explained how Edward had taken the news. He still looked a bit frustrated when I got to the end of my story.

"So? What's going to happen now?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Well Dad, I think it's fair to let you know that all of the Cullen's are back. They moved back to Forks. Esme disliked living in the big city and Carlisle preferred his job here in this hospital. The heads of the hospital staff here told Carlisle that if he ever changed his mind, he was welcome back. The rest of the Cullen kids decided that liked Forks better. Well most of them anyway. But they're back now."

I was smiling by the end of this but Charlie had a grimace stuck in place on his face that had nothing to do with Esme or Carlisle.

"And Edward?" He practically growled the name.

"Once everything about the cliff diving had been explained to the family, Edward and I got a chance to talk. We both agreed that the break up was not good for either of us. I heard from Alice and Emmett, the big one, that he was as miserable as I was. He told me he broke up with me because he thought that it would be easier for me to move on once he had left. He hadn't seen any other way to handle things, and didn't want to do the long distance thing for me. He thought that my life would be better if I could move on and see other people. We both know now that that isn't the right path for us at this time. He feels the same way about me that I do about him, Dad. I'm assuming you've surmised that we're back together."

I had grown defensive and wary as I said the last few sentences. Charlie looked at me and he seemed very angry.

"Bella, he's no good for you! He messed you up badly the first time he left! What if he does it again? I won't have you go through that again!"

I needed to calm him down. He was being irrational.

"Dad! It's alright. I've chosen my path for now and I know what I want. I want to be with Edward and I want you to be ok with it. Please just try, to be nice, for me. Please." I pleaded with him a bit at the end, knowing that he only wanted what was best for me. His resolve waivered and I could see that he would give in, at least a little.

"Alright fine. I don't like it, but I guess I have to live with it. You do know you're in trouble for leaving though right?" He looked down at his hands and then looked back up to see my response.

"Yes, Dad. I figured I would be."

"But we wont discuss that now. We'll talk more in the morning. I'm bushed and I'm sure you're exhausted too. Are you staying over again Alice?" He seemed to just now notice her presence in the room and his demeanor changed quite a bit. He looked almost happy. Alice plastered a happy smile on her face before she spoke.

"No, thank you, Charlie. I should be getting home. I've got to help unpack." With that, she swiftly kissed me on the cheek and walked over to hug Charlie before she walked out the door.

I knew that would be Edward's signal to head up to my room. The thought brought me anxious chills. Charlie looked at me and walked over to hug me.

"I missed you, kid. I'm glad you're home safe. We will talk more in the morning." He pulled away from the hug and trudged his was upstairs. I followed suit and waited until I heard his door close to open mine. And there he was, my own personal heaven, sitting on my bed. I closed the space between us and he opened his arms for me.

"I must say. You are a much better story teller than I thought you would be. Very nicely done." He looked down and the smile in his eyes was as bright as it was on his face. He leaned down and kissed me lightly. I pulled away first, sighing.

"I should go get into the shower. I'll be back soon." I kissed him again lightly and got up to grab my clothes and bathroom bag. I walked to the door and opened it, turning to look at him before I closed the door. He smiled and blew me a kiss and whispered to me.

"Hurry back, love."

I smiled at him as I shut the door to my room. I walked quickly to the bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush. I quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face before turning on the shower. The water heated fast and I stepped in, inhaling sharply as the water hit my skin. It felt lovely to stand in the flow of the hot water and just soak. It unknotted all of my muscles that had tensed up in the last few days, and there were plenty.

Eventually, the water ran out and I got out of the shower. I toweled my hair and changed into my pajamas. I cleaned up the bathroom and walked back to my room.

He was still there, lying on my bed and spinning something shiny and large in his hands. I put my bag on my desk and walked over to the bed and lay down next to him. He pulled me to him with one arm, the other still holding the shiny object that I could now see was circular. I looked at him with a questioning look, and he handed me the object. I looked closer to find that it looked very familiar. But I didn't know where he could have found it. I had destroyed all of my CD's after he left. I looked at him and noticed he had a few things lying across his stomach. They looked like pictures and then there was a thin envelope. Seeing those objects, it all came flying back.

These were the things he had given me for my birthday and the pictures of him that I had. The things that had gone missing after he left. I looked up at him incredulously and he could see that I knew what all of the things were. I was shocked and at a loss for words but I tried anyway.

"Where…how…Did you…?" I trailed off, not sure if I could form an understandable question.

He knew what I meant.

"I took these the day I left. I ran back to your room after our talk and grabbed them. But I didn't take them. I left them here for you, but somewhere I knew you wouldn't find them."

"Where?"

"I put them under your floor boards. I knew there wouldn't be a reason for you to go through and dig up your floor, so I knew they could stay there. I wanted to leave a but of myself with you, even though I knew you wouldn't find them."

I rolled off that bed at that point and walked over to my closet to take out the clock radio I had hidden there. I had replaced it with one that didn't play music. I pushed that radio aside and put the newly found one in its place, plugging it in to my wall. The numbers lit up instantly, the time skewed as I knew it would be, from having been out of commission for so long. I took the CD and placed in the correct place. I heard the familiar notes of his lullaby float through the room, softly. It felt like I had heard this just yesterday, but I knew that was not the case. I walked back over to Edward, with the music still playing, and snuggled into his arms. He set the pictures and the tickets on my desk and pulled me closer to him. I thought about all of the things that happened before we had saved Edward. I thought about the cliff diving, and Jake saving me. My thoughts bounced then to the flame on the water. I decided that Edward needed to know about this. I didn't like to bring it up on our first night back together, but this was important.

"So, I hate to bring this up but I feel that it's pressing."

Edward looked down at me with a curious expression. I figured since I had brought it up, I might as well continue, despite how much I didn't want too.

"Did you see from Alice all of what happened before we left?"

"I saw bits and pieces. I wasn't concentrating much on the specifics. I know about the cliff diving, and the dog, but that's about all I paid attention too."

I so did not want to bring _her _up but I knew that I had too. My skin erupted in goose bumps, and my breathing sped up just thinking about her. Edward noticed and started to rub my arm soothingly, hoping I'd continue.

"Well, long story short, _she_ is back." I didn't think I would be able to say her name.

"Who, Bella? Who is back?"

It looked like I was going to have to say her name and explain everything. I thought it through and realized he didn't know about Laurent either. Oh boy, this was not going to be something I could say easily.

"Ok, so I'm going to start at the beginning. This is a difficult story to tell, so please be patient with me."

Edward nodded in encouragement and I buried my head in his chest, his closeness making this a bit easier.

"It started a while after you left. I wanted to be closer to you and I couldn't think of a way to do it. So I ended up going to our meadow. It didn't help to say the least. While I was there I ran into Laurent. He seemed friendly enough at first, but things changed. He started to walk towards me, but it was like he was circling me. He said he was scouting the area for…Victoria. He said she was back and looking for me. She wants revenge against you for taking James away from her. She figured it would be better for her to kill me instead of you, mate for mate. Laurent was out hunting then and I smelled good. He almost…killed me. But the wolves showed up and killed him I guess. Jake told me about that later. So I stayed in La Push for a while. The wolves found her scent a few times and followed it, but she always got away. Jake was hunting her when I jumped. They caught her scent and followed it. She lost them by swimming. Jake says you have the advantage over them there. So he came to find me on the beach and found me in the water instead. As he carried me towards his house and away from the beach, I saw her. She was in the water. She was so close!" My voice was a whisper but it had turned shrill.

I was breathing much faster now and I could feel myself getting light headed. Too much oxygen. I looked up at Edward after a moment and found his face was white than usual, even in the dim lights. His eyes were wide and they held something in them that I hadn't seen in his eyes very often; Panic. This scared me. Edward was always so in control of himself. If I told him something that scared him, things weren't looking good.

"Edward?" my voice shook as I spoke.

"I…I didn't…realize that she would come back at all. I didn't see this in her. How could I have been so stupid?! How could I leave you alone to face that?! Oh Bella, I am so sorry!" He pulled me closer as he spoke and pressed his lips tightly against me forehead. "I will keep you safe Bella. I promise."

I settled myself as close as I could get to him and tucked my head under his chin. Despite his words, and the fact that Victoria was hunting me, I felt safe in his arms. I leaned back to look in his eyes. They were fierce and determined.

"I love you Edward. As long as you're here with me, I'm not scared. I know you mean what you say. I just need you now. Victoria can wait. Tonight I need to be with you, forget everything but just us."

He looked at me and smiled, trying to do what I asked of him, and push Victoria out of his mind. I tried my hardest too. It didn't take that much effort. Staring into his eyes, everything else seemed to melt away. I didn't worry about anything and didn't think about anything either. Not one thought that passed through my mind dealt with anything but Edward. He leaned down and kissed me. This was the kiss I had waited for, the one that put the others to shame. It was a kiss that made the last few months seem to disappear, take away the pain and fill the space with a sweetness that I hadn't realized how much I missed. He deepened the kiss, to my surprise, and I felt his hands knot themselves in my hair and he pressed me closer, if that were possible. He pulled away, too soon for my liking as usual.

"Oh, my Bella. I think it's time for you to sleep. I love you."

"I love you too. Good night."

"Goodnight, my beautiful Bella."

I fell asleep soon after, the lullaby and Edward's arms putting me to sleep. I started to dream. I knew I was dreaming but it seemed so real, just as the last dream I had did. Edward and I were in the meadow again, just the two of us, standing two feet from each other. His face was dark and his arms were crossed over his chest. I was crying, tears slipping down my face silently.

"Please Edward. You cant leave me now. Please."

"Bella, things aren't the same as they used to be. I'm not the same. I cant do this anymore."

"But Edward, I need you. Please just stay for a few more days. Please"

"I'm sorry Bella."

Those were the last words he said to me. He turned to leave and walked away. I felt her before I saw her. She had one hand around my neck, and the other around my stomach, pinning my arms to my sides.

"Edward!" I screamed. I couldn't think of anything else to do.

He turned and looked at us with a passive look on his face, and turned and walked away, leaving me with her.

"Aww, poor Bella. I guess Eddie doesn't love you anymore. Too bad…so sad. Good thing you wont be alive much longer, hmm?"

She sank her teeth into my skin and I screamed. She bit me again and I screamed louder. She leaned down for a third taste and I woke up screaming. I sat bolt upright in bed, still screaming. Edward was by my side in a second.

"Bella! Bella shh! It's alright, I'm here. What's wrong?"

I tried to calm my breathing but I couldn't see to be able too.

"You…a-and Victoria…a-and teeth…biting…you…left…you left and you let her bite me!"

His face was horror struck as I continued to hyperventilate. I tried to listen for Charlie over my breathing and I could hear him snoring. It was faint, but it was there. Edward wrapped his arms tighter around me and pulled me closer. He stroked my hair, trying to calm me. It was a while before either of us spoke, my breathing still loud.

"That will never happen Bella. I will take care of her and you will be safe. I swear." He picked me up and walked me over to the rocking chair in my room. I was reminded of those times when I was little that Renee or Charlie would rock me in this chair to calm me. It had always worked then. It wasn't working too well this time. I started sobbing quietly into Edward's chest as he rocked us.

"Ple-please E-Edward. Don't…don't leave me. Please. I need you…please." I kept repeating a variation of those phrases for a few minutes. Edward reassured me every time I spoke.

"It's alright, Bella. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with you. I love you." He spoke quietly in a soft whisper and kissed my forehead every now and then trying to calm me.

This dream had shaken me worse than almost any other. The dreams I had after Edward left were pretty bad, but this was worse. Worse because I knew he was back and, despite what he promised, he could leave at any time, and I would be left to Victoria. I knew he would never do that to me but I couldn't shake this dream. He started to hum by lullaby again, trying to help me back to sleep, and I unwillingly sank back into a fitful night. Images of her flashed through my mind, but nothing solid stuck.

**Longest Chapter yet....reviews would make my day even better... : )**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:: I don't own the original characters, just Evelyn and the storyline...**

I woke the next morning, groggy, and rolled over to find Edward. He wasn't where I thought he would be. I reached my hand out further until I had reached the edge, and my fingers grasped my mattress. I started to panic. How could he leave me, after everything that we had been through, and after everything last night? My breathing picked up speed and I could feel the tears well and pour from my eyes. I felt a sense of loss, abandonment, and rejection wash through me at the speed of light. I didn't want to believe he would leave me, not now. A sob broke through my throat.

"Bella?!" Edward's voice was panicked and anxious. He hadn't realized I'd been crying.

He got up from the rocking chair in my room and ran to my side, cradling me in his arms, arms tight around me, pressing his lips into my hair.

"What's wrong? What is it?" his voice grew anxious as I continued to have a hard time breathing.

Another, louder sob broke through my throat and I tried to stem the flow of tears but they just kept coming.

"I..I-I…I thought you…left…m-m-me!" I shaking so badly with the sobs that I was stuttering horribly.

I heard Edward's intake of breath and he started to run his fingers through my hair trying to calm me.

"Bella, Bella. I won't leave you I promise. I'm here as long as you want me. I'll be here forever if you want me. I'm not leaving you again."

His voice had turned velvety and his words soothed my sobs. I tried my hardest to stifle the tears and I was pretty close by the time he spoke again. He pulled back slightly from our embrace and looked into my red eyes and splotchy face.

"Are you alright, love? Can I get you anything, do anything?"

I shook my head, trying to clear it before answering.

"No, thank you. I'll be ok. I just need you right now. Just you."

He pulled me tighter against his chest and I felt myself relaxing into him. I turned my head slightly to look at the clock and saw that it said 4:30. It was Saturday if I did my math correctly and I had all day to sleep, if I so chose. I yawned, involuntarily, and I felt Edward pull us both down into a vertical position. I snuggled closer to him and fell asleep again. This sleep wasn't a troubled sleep. It was deep and I dreamt of good things. I saw Alice and the entire family, sitting in the Cullen's living room, just talking. Edward and I were sitting with them. He had his arm around me and it felt nice, just to be there with everyone and feel a sense of belonging. It was the feeling I knew I had been craving ever since it had been taken away from me. Knowing I could have it and get it back was one of the best feelings in the world.

I didn't realize how true the statement "you shouldn't take things for granted" was until I had actually experienced its meaning. I had always taken for granted the fact that Edward and I would be together forever and that he and his family would soon become my family. When that future had been taken away, I realized just how much it all meant to me. I had taken it for granted. I vowed, even in unconsciousness, to never take anything for granted ever again. Every moment I got with Edward would be one I would treasure. Every glimpse of his face, and every moment I spent with him and his family would be cherished. I had learned my lesson, and I wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

I woke later that day with a clear mind. Edward was lying beside me, as I had hoped he would be. He noticed me waking up and his face lit up into a smile. I looked over at the clock and gasped. It was 3:00 in the afternoon! How could I have slept for that long? I got up and stretched and took Edwards hand and walked him down to the kitchen. Charlie wasn't home, his cruiser not in its usual spot, so I took that to mean he had gone fishing with someone from the station, or with Billy. I pulled out my usual bowl of cereal and started to eat. We sat in silence for a few minutes before either of us spoke.

"Bella, I was thinking that today we could-" Edward stopped mid sentence and sat bolt upright. His nostrils flared and his lips pulled back over his teeth. I low growl erupted from his chest and he stood up and ran to the back door. He was back in half a second, pulling me into his arms, and running out of the house. He took us into the forest and started to run towards his home. I had no idea what was going on.

"Edward? What's wrong?" I tried to yell as the wind whipped past my face.

Edward shook his head and ran faster. I couldn't see an end to the trees at all. Edward turned his head around to look at something, and growled again, more menacingly this time. He tried to speed up again but he was getting close to his limit.

Without a warning, we were both thrown to the ground. The speed we had generated sent me flying fifteen feet into the forest, before colliding with a tree, still going the same speed. I cried out involuntarily when I hit the tree, my midriff colliding with the trunk. I tried to breathe deeper but I couldn't. The wind had been knocked out of me and all I could feel was the horrible searing pain in my ribs. One or more had to be broken after a hit like that. I knew there were other things to focus on but I panicked as I tried to breathe. I regained some semblance of normal breathing quite quickly, and I looked up to see what had happened to Edward. What I saw was horrifying. Edward was locked in a battle with three other vampires, newborns by the looks of them, and he wasn't winning. I pulled myself off of the ground and tried to think of something I could do, something to distract them to save Edward. Then a thought flashed through my mind. Maybe, just maybe, I had an appealing scent to them too. That would surely be enough to get their attention long enough for Edward to gain some ground. So I whistled. All vampires have exceptional hearing, or so I've seen, so I figured they would too. I was right. Their heads whipped around at the noise and their eyes grew a deeper red as my scent coursed through them. Edward was able to back away from them before they charged at me. I hadn't thought about this part. I had just known that I needed to save Edward, but I had never thought of the price; my life.

"No!" Edward shouted as the vampires closed in. They slowed their run to a walk and started to circle me, like an animal circling it's pray, which this was, essentially. He charged at one of them, but they were too fast and too strong. One whipped around and sent a kick towards Edward's stomach. It hit him and he was sent barreling backwards at an alarming rate, too far into the trees for me to see him anymore. The three newborns drew closer in towards me and they all crouched. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to come.

"Stop!"

This was not Edward's voice, as I thought it would be. It was a female voice, very high, almost soprano, and sounded quite young. I opened my eyes a bit and saw my worst nightmare; Victoria. She was standing before me, eyes glowing crimson, her flaming hair blowing behind her from the breeze.

"She is mine. No one touch her."

This command seemed to anger the newborns and they reluctantly sank back behind her. She came closer to me and picked up a strand of hair that had fallen from my messy bun. She leaned in and sniffed it, savoring the scent as it filled her head. A roar rang from somewhere behind her, and I saw Edward leap from the bushes fifteen feet away. The three newborns grabbed him and held him tight. She backed away from me a few paces and it was only then that I noticed that another vampire had followed her from her place among the trees. She was a small girl, looked to be around my age, maybe a year younger when she was changed, and had glowing crimson eyes. She looked slightly scared, like she wasn't sure of her purpose here and looked to Victoria for guidance.

"Ah, Bella. It has been too long since I have seen you last."

I shuddered as Victoria spoke to me. Her voice wasn't right, it was too high, yet filled with malice and hate. I could guess why.

"And Edward! So nice to see you as well. Neither of you have changed much. Well, for you, Edward, that is to be expected. But for my dear sweet Bella here, I can't fathom how you can't have changed in the course of a year. Still the same plain, insignificant girl who has won the interest of many of my kind. Edward, his family, Laurent…James." Her voice caught on the last name.

James, her mate, was killed by Edward. I remembered the day back in the ballet studio all too clearly. James on his rant of how I was just an insignificant girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of the worst memories of my life. Edward saved me from death that night. I wasn't sad to see James go in the least.

"So, my lovely Bella, I know that you spoke to Laurent before his demise, am I correct?"

I didn't speak so she took that to be a 'yes'.

"And I also know the he informed you of my plan. So I am assuming here, and please correct me if I am wrong, that you know your fate, and that you have told Edward of such a thing as well?"

Again, I didn't speak.

"Lovely, now I don't have to go through all of the pleasantries of explanation on either part. Mate for mate. A simple concept I think. Revenge in a fantastic form, watching the pain slide across our dashing Edwards face here, as he watches his beloved human drained slowly, tortured in the process, and then ripped to pieces. I, myself, have always been one for the dramatic, always over the top. I think that will make for an excellent show, don't you agree Evelyn?"

The small girl that was standing behind Victoria threw anxious glances all around the circle, first at Victoria, then to Edward, who bared his teeth and snarled at her, and then finally, to me. She took in my horrified expression and her eyes grew a tad bit more anxious. Perhaps she had some compassion, maybe she would stand up against Victoria. But her glance returned to the menacing vampire in front of her, and her decision was clear in her eyes. She would side with Victoria, if for nothing but a fear for her own existence.

"So my dear, to get this show on the road, I say we have a little fun." She turned towards me. "Evelyn, here, has quite a special power. Lets test it."

Evelyn threw her gaze toward me and what I was seeing stayed the same. I figured her power had something to do with the mind, so I assumed her power wouldn't work on me. All of the sudden, Edward howled in pain. I flew my head around to see him lying on the ground, missing an arm. I looked at him, and he looked back with pained eyes. A loud cry escaped my throat.

"No!"

"Bella! Bella, what's wrong?" a voice drifted through the treetops. I hadn't come from anyone in the clearing, but I knew it was Edward's voice. I looked down at him and he had not spoken. His face was the same mask of pain as it had been mere seconds ago. One of the newborns walked over to Edward, bent down, and ripped off his other arm. Another cry of pain flew from his lips and he recoiled against the mossy ground.

"No, please! Stop! I'm begging you!" I was crying hard now, as I watched the reason for my life being torn to pieces. I tried pleading with the vampires but that only made them more intrigued with his pain. They tore off a leg and stepped back to watch him squirm and hear me shriek. I had dropped to my knees at this point, my palms flat against my temples, fists full of my own hair. The ghostly voice of Edward drifted back through the treetops, even though his lips did not move.

"What are you doing to her? Stop! Bella!"

The newborns got a kick out of this whole pain deal. In one swift motion, one tore his other leg from his body and threw it into the trees. I looked down at what was left of my Edward, and whimpered softly.

"Please, I'm begging you. Leave him be. Don't k-k-kill him. Take…me…instead. Please." My pleaded turned into deep sobs as I spoke.

I lifted my gaze to peer into Edward's eyes, contorted with pain. This time, he spoke, and his mouth moved, throwing his speech towards me instead of ghosting through the trees.

"I love you, Bella. More than my own life. There will never be anything that anyone will ever feel that will be greater than what I feel for you. I'm sorry it wasn't enough. I love you."

I knew what was coming before it happened. My breathing cut short just as I watched a newborn reach out and rip Edwards head from his body. The body parts had been collected by then and a small fire started. Edwards head was thrown into the fire and it burned along with the rest of his body. My own body was wracked with sobs. He was gone. I had just gotten him back and he was gone. There was no reason to fight against Victoria anymore. I had once tried to fight for a future with the man that I loved. He had been taken and so had my will to fight.

"NO! Please! Come back, Edward. Don't leave me! No!" the last word was contorted and elongated by my sobs. I looked up at Victoria and spoke with ferociousness. "You took him from me. There is nothing left. Kill me now. I have no reason to live."

The ghostly words rang through the trees again.

"Stop! Whatever power or spell it is you have her under, make it stop. Bella, please, fight for me, fight for us. Don't give up, not yet."

I heard Victoria's words ghost through the trees as Edwards had a moment before, though she did not move her lips.

"Alright, Evelyn, I think I've had my fun for the moment. Release her."

All too suddenly, the scene shifted. The purple plumes of smoke rising from Edwards burning body was gone, as was the pile that was the man I loved. I looked around and found him standing, perfectly intact, in front of me, looking horrified at what I had said. If only he had seen.

"Evelyn's gift is to make people see what she wants them too. In this case, Edward, if you hadn't already caught on, she had Bella live through your death, and let me tell you it wasn't pretty. Dismembered, am I correct, Evelyn? What lovely last words you chose for him. Would you like to hear them Edward. I don't believe you have a choice. I believe the words were something like 'I love you, Bella. More than my own life. There will never be anything that anyone will ever feel that will be greater than what I feel for you. I'm sorry it wasn't enough. I love you'. My, those words fit you quite well don't they. Something you would most definetly say. Well done Evelyn, that was quite entertaining to watch. Now Bella, is that request you made earlier still valid? Would you like me to kill you now?"

Edward answered for me.

"No! Please, don't take her from me."

Victoria snarled at his pleading.

"Take her from you! You mean like how you too James away from me? Now how could I ever do something so horrible? Oh, quite easily I think. Revenge is sweet. This is for James. You took him from me and now I'm going to take her from you. This will be fun, and worse for you and for her now that you decided to beg like this. You've struck a nerve in me, Edward, and for that, Bella will suffer greatly. You best thank him now Bella, and say your goodbyes, you wont have a chance soon." Victoria snapped her fingers and the newborns seemed to read her mind. They dragged Edward over to where I was immobilized on the ground and pushed him down to my level, still holding him tightly. "Now, last goodbyes are always so fun to watch. Better make it good, Edward has to live with this for the rest of his existence. Too bad his last memories of you will be so harsh. My last memories of you, on the other hand, will be delightful."**

Edward looked into my eyes and I into his. I was crying, still, from what Evelyn had shown me. I wasn't afraid for myself, for dying, or for the pain. I was afraid for what this would do to him, and how much pain I would cause him. I looked at him and spoke in a strangled voice.

"Edward, I'm so sorry you had to meet me. I've done nothing but cause you pain from the beginning. The very beginning actually. That thirst, and then the pain of what James did, and at my birthday, Italy, and now this. I've been nothing but a burden, but I want you to know that you have been nothing but pure joy and love for me. The best thing to ever happen to me. The phrase 'I will love you till I die' doesn't fit here, because that would mean I stop loving you today. That will never be true. I will love you until the end of time, regardless of the fact that I'm not here with you. I wanted nothing more than to be with you forever, and to be Mrs. Edward Cullen some day, and to sit beside you, a hundred years from now, and now that I have the rest of my existence with you. Just know that regardless of the fact that I am not physically here, in the flesh, I will always be with you in spirit. As cliché as that sounds, it's true. I will never leave you. I love you for eternity. I'm so sorry." I was sobbing so hard towards the end I don't know how he understood a word I was saying. I looked up into his eyes to see them wet with tears. I didn't know such a thing was possible. A tear slipped from the side of his eye and streaked down his cheek.

"Isabella Marie Swan, there is no way possible that you were ever a burden. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, the best thing that will ever happen to me, not matter how long I live, which, after today, I'm hoping is not long. I can't live without you, there is no possible way for me to continue on without your brilliant face to light up my day. There are so many things I want to say right now but none would sum up how I feel just right. You are my life, and without you there is not life to live. I love you more than life itself. I truly believe that all things happen for a reason. I know that I was destined to live in some form in 1918 so that I could find you. Every life has a predefined course and you were the course I was always heading in. If it all ends today, then at least I die knowing that I found my purpose and what I was looking for all of my life. You are the only thing I will ever need in this entire lifetime. You. I love you. I'm sorry that I can't keep you out of harms way. It's my fault. Please forgive me. I never meant any of this for you. I love you." He was sobbing as hard as I was by the time he was done speaking.

I looked up to see Victoria's face growing impatient so I hastily leaned forward and kissed Edward passionately. He kissed me back the same way, all of our emotions all wrapped up in one, too short, kiss. Victoria snorted and moved towards us, still locked in an embrace. The next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain in my stomach and I flew backwards, into a tree. I felt myself flying backward, and my head collided with a tree trunk. The tree was not huge, but not small either. I fell to the ground, trying to regain my breath as I heard the shouts.

"Stop! Don't touch her!" Edward was growling ferociously, and he was straining against his captors. I turned my head to the side to watch him free one of his arms and promptly decapitate one of the newborns. Another newborn latched onto his arm, keeping him steady. A small surge of hope sounded in my chest. Maybe if he could free himself from one of the other newborns, he could save himself and leave now. Leave me to Victoria. There isn't another way I would want this to happen. For him to be far away, and move on.

I tried to stand and got as far as standing before the black spots started clouding my vision. I wobbled and reached out to find something to grab for balance.

"Bella!" Edwards voice was high and anxious.

I couldn't find anything to hold onto. I swayed harder and fell to the ground, onto my side. I tried to get back up again only to find two cold hands grab onto my hair and tug me upward. I decided then that I would not scream no matter how much pain she caused. It wouldn't do anyone any good. Victoria pulled harder and I found myself on my knees, looking into her horrid eyes. She stared at me and I could tell this would not be an easy thing to deal with. No quick death for me. This would be slow and painful.

I tore my eyes away from hers and searched for Edward. I found him looking terrified and furious at the same time. Wrong move. Victoria grabbed my face with her free hand and made me move my gaze to her. Her eyes were delighted and horrifying at the same time. She released my hair and held my face tighter in her hand. There was no way I would be able to wrench myself away from her steel grip.

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